Mainstreaming traditional varieties and on-farm conservation of crop diversity for sustainable finger millet cultivation in Odisha, India

Crop genetic diversity and in situ conservation of traditional varieties play a vital and complementary role in biodiversity conservation, capturing not only genetic resources but also the dynamic evolutionary processes that sustain them. In the present study, thirteen traditional Odisha finger millet varieties, selected from a larger set of 46 conserved by tribal millet farmers, were evaluated across four diverse growing regions. The study identified four traditional varieties Kundra Bati (1776.6 kg/ha), Laxmipur Kalia (1735.3 kg/ha), Malyabant Mami (1686.1 kg/ha), and Gupteswar Bharathi (1863.9 kg/ha) with stable grain yield levels under marginalized conditions and local preferences by farmers. Gupteswar Bharathi exhibited superior performance across all test locations (Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada), while Kundra Bati excelled at Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, and Rayagada; Malyabant Mami at Koraput and Rayagada; and Laxmipur Kalia at Mayurbhanj and Rayagada. The identified varieties also recorded superiority for grain iron (20.4 to 23.2 ppm), grain zinc (17.5 -19.6 ppm) and calcium content (2692-3221 ppm). Higher stover yields (>8000 kg/ha) recorded in the four traditional varieties indicates it scope in agro-pastoral utility. Considering the importance of conservation of traditional varieties in its growing regions supported with performance in evaluation trials and local acceptance by farmers, the four traditional varieties were notified for large scale cultivation in the target locations. Nutritional analysis of varieties grown at Koraput demonstrated ~20% higher grain protein and micronutrients indicating greater role of environment on the expression of these nutritional traits. These findings suggest scope for future research aimed at securing Geographical Indication (GI) status for finger millet production from Koraput and other traditional growing regions. Notably, Koraput, Odisha, India is, recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), underscoring its global significance in agro-biodiversity conservation. The present study highlights the importance of integrating traditional knowledge with scientific approaches to effectively conserve and mainstream diverse traditional millet varieties into the cultivation system.